Bob Vetrone Jr.

Perhaps the irony is that the Andy Reid era is going to hang on a little longer than we thought after all ... if only for a few hours.

The NFL will enforce its flex scheduling for Week 17 no later than Monday (Merry Christmas Eve!) depending on the playoff possibilities for that weekend. (No night game has yet been scheduled at all; one will move into that NBC slot.) Since so many of the division titles are locked up and the top seeds and byes could be right behind them — and the NFC East title is guaranteed to not be clinched this weekend — Eagles-Giants and Cowboys-Redskins look to be the leaders in the clubhouse to close out the 2012 regular season.

The race for the final (or both) NFC wild-card slots may save us from yet another prime-time Birds event, but there is no denying that having a division title at stake is better for the ratings.

Poll

What time do you prefer the Eagles to play most of their games?

Thursday evening

Sunday early afternoon

Sunday late afternoon

Sunday evening

Monday evening

Here's a look at the Week 17 schedule, with records to date and a quick glance at what might be up for grabs in the contest:

Teams

W-L

Notes

Eagles at Giants

4-10 8-6

NFC East can not be clinched in Week 16, but NFL may want the division games being played simultaneously

Buccaneers at Falcons

6-8 12-2

Atlanta can clinch NFC top seed this weekend

Jets at Bills

6-8 5-9

Two teams going nowhere

Ravens at Bengals

9-5 8-6

Baltimore can clinch AFC North in Week 16 and may be out of running for a first-round bye at this point

Bears at Lions

8-6 4-10

The final NFC wild-card spot can not be clinched in Week 16, so the Bears could be in play for that

Texans at Colts

12-2 9-5

Texans (and, yes, I typed "Oilers" at first) could clinch top AFC seed in Week 16, as could Colts with a wild-card spot

Packers at Vikings

10-4 8-6

Green Bay may be out of the running for a first-round bye, but Minnesota could be in the middle of a very muddled wild-card race

Dolphins at Patriots

6-8 10-4

New England could very easily be locked in as the AFC's No. 3 seed after this weekend

Panthers at Saints

5-9 6-8

Two teams getting together to celebrate victories over the Eagles as little else

Browns at Steelers

5-9 7-7

Pittsburgh could be eliminatyed from playoff contention in Week 16

Jaguars at Titans

2-12 5-9

Jacksonville could be in the running for the overall No. 1 draft pick, but I don't think that's what flex scheduling is all about

Cowboys at Redskins

8-6 8-6

This might be the best bet for the flex, especially if the Giants are eliminated from contention for the divsion title in Week 16

Chiefs at Broncos

2-12 11-3

This season can't end soon enough for Kansas City and the Broncos may already have a first-round bye sewn up

Raiders at Chargers

4-10 5-9

The WWE might want to flex this one, but that's about it

Cardinals at 49ers

5-9 10-3-1

San Francisco could have a bye locked by in Week 16 and Kevin Kolb is done for the season, so even Andy Reid won;t watch

Rams at Seahawks

6-7-1 9-5

Seattle could have a playoff spot locked up but the division (and a home playoff game) will proably be out of reach